1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of document and information display and more particularly to documents and information display such as Web Pages that are based on HTML format documents with the interactive display of those documents.
2. Description of Related Art
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) documents, exchanged on the Internet, include embedded link instructions that rely on Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to locate and identify resources on the Internet. Typically, HTML documents are located, loaded and displayed using browser applications that also provide Internet navigation support. When the browser displays the HTML document, the embedded URL link instructions define active areas on a computer graphic display. A user can select or activate those areas.
Browser applications recognize multiple existing URL types in HTML format documents with each URL type performing a different function. Existing UTRL types include http, ftp, mailto and others. As the Internet develops, new service types are being offered, such as telephony, and video entertainment. These new types of services are fundamentally different from existing types of URL services, and many of those new services will be implemented by using new URL types. However, regardless of the URL type, operating systems and browser applications typically identify all URL links on a Web page with blue colored text and display the cursor as a fist with an extended index finger.
Scripting tools are frequently used with HTML documents to enhance the display options for Web pages. These scripting tools are also used to enable new internet services such as telephony. However, even with new internet services, the scripting tools rely on the operating system and browser application to identify the services with blue colored text and display the cursor as a fist with an extended index finger.
Thus, there is a need to provide enhanced visual information for internet services.
The invention is directed to a computer method comprising the steps of creating a computer graphic display with a link area corresponding to link instruction by interpreting display format information, and responsive to a cursor entering the link area, presenting an icon on the computer graphic display, the icon visually representing a service that results from selecting the link area. In this manner, if telephone service results from selecting the link area, an icon such as a telephone is presented.
The invention is also directed to an article of manufacture, comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for creating a computer graphic display, the computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture comprising program readable program code means for causing a computer to create the computer graphic display with a link area corresponding to link instruction by interpreting display format information. The article of manufacture also comprising program readable program code means for causing the computer to communicate with an operating system and a browser application to determine when a cursor enters the link area. The article of manufacture also comprising program readable program code means for causing the computer to communicate with the operating system and the browser application to present an icon on the computer graphic display, the icon visually representing a service that results from selecting the link area.
The invention is also directed to a computer system, comprising a server, which is connected to an individual computer by a communication network. The system performs the steps of the individual computer reading display format information, the display format information being stored on the server and having at least one link instruction; the individual computer creating a computer graphic display with a link area corresponding to the link instruction by interpreting the display format information; and responsive to a cursor entering the link area, the individual computer presenting an icon on the computer graphic display, the icon visually representing a service that results from selecting the link area.
The invention is also directed to a memory for storing data for access by an application program being executed on a data processing system, comprising a data structure stored in the memory, the data structure including information resident in a database used by the application program and including a plurality of data objects, each of the data objects containing display format information; link instructions, the link instructions comprising part of the display format information; and a plurality of visually representative icon objects, one icon object being related to each link instruction and visually representing the related link instruction.
The visually representative icons of the invention may represent telephone service; facsimile service; video service; game service; financial service and help service. Sounds or text that are descriptive of the service may also be presented. Display format information may be in the form of hypertext mark-up language documents.